Be Our Guest
by Dyde21
Summary: Pyrrha is serving as the head chef in the kitchen, preparing the banquet that the manor is hosting tonight. While she certainly has a tough job ahead of her, her concerns are not with herself but for her blonde friend and all the waiters that will have serve the floor. Hopefully they can all make it through the night in one piece.


Pyrrha hummed happily to herself as she washed her knives in the sink. To say the day had been stressful would be quite the understatement. The manor at which she worked was currently hosting a banquet, and it seems almost everyone in the town had been invited.

That of course, meant that as the head chef she was in charge of preparing a feast worthy of a town's worth of people. Pyrrha was never one to shy away from a challenge though, especially considering Mister Ozpin had been gracious enough to inform her that her pay would be increased as compensation for the massive event.

Last she had heard, the guests were just beginning to arrive which meant soon enough she wouldn't be able to rest until the night was over. They had finished their preparations a little early, so she was taking one last chance to clean her knives and mentally prepare herself for the battle that would surely take place in the kitchen. One she knew she would win. She had the utmost trust in her staff, and this wouldn't be her first time running the kitchen for such a large event. No, as far as she was concerned both herself and her team had the night the easiest.

Other sections of the staff at the manor however, had her sympathies. As if on queue, she saw a familiar mop of blonde hair burst through the double doors, carrying two empty platters. Quickly depositing them, he grabbed another two plates full of glasses of wine, before making his way through the still swinging double doors and back towards the dining hall. Not before flashing her his signature goofy smirk of course. One that never failed to make her heart flutter just a beat.

Yes, her sympathies lied with the waiting staff and servers.

Back in the kitchen, far removed from the hall, she was in control. Every person there listened to her words as law, and it was unlikely anything unexpected or unplanned for could happen. They had already made precautions for any circumstance they could imagine, stocking up on extra food and doing extra preparation in case they found themselves running short.

Out there on the floor however? It was chaos. It was simply organized chaos. The head butlers and Mister Ozpin himself had organized the event, down to the minute of course, but it was impossible to predict how a town's worth of people would behave. The people stuck with adapting every minute, attending to every need, and stopping problems before they could begin were the wait staff.

They would be the poor souls stuck facing the ire of displeased and unruly guests. They would get to deliver the food all night, yet not have a bite of it themselves. They had to suspend all self interest until the night was done if they wished to keep their jobs.

Now Mister Ozpin was a fair lord in every sense of the word. All staff members could expect reasonable pay, proper respect, and fair jobs. But in return he expected exceptional service, and knew that if one person wasn't willing to put in the effort, there would be another willing to take his place.

As the night slowly marched onward, Pyrrha found herself increasingly busy. She would float from one station to the next, making sure the kitchen ran smoothly and a steady stream of food would be leaving to keep the tables stocked, and guests satisfied.

Like all kitchens, mishaps had happened. A dropped plate of food here or there, a guest unsatisfied with a seemingly perfectly fine dish requiring a replacement. Even some arguments between chefs would arise as tensions rose, but Pyrrha managed to keep it all under control well enough.

There was one problem out of her control, that kept nagging at her conscience though. As she saw Jaune and the other waiters dance in and out of the kitchen, it was clear the night was beginning to affect them. Their paces were just the tiniest bit slower as they loaded their trays just a hair slower to catch their breath. She didn't miss their pauses at the door to take a deep breath and clear their nerves and temper.

Jaune however, seemed to be having an exceptionally rough night. At first, every time he passed through the kitchen he would flash her a smile. Early in the night his hair had been combed to the best of his ability, trying to tame his usually unruly mess of hair she found adorable. His clothes had been neatly pressed, and he looked as proper as any man she had seen. By now though, he had lost his edge. His hair was slipping back into it's natural unruly mess, a few strands matted to his head with sweat. His clothes were looking a little worn, the neat pressed folds ruined by repetitive motions. Even his smiles seemed a little more desperate.

She had stepped away from the kitchen to hand prepare a platter of artisan snacks, something of a signature dish that had attracted Mister Ozpin's attention to her in the first place, when Jaune had returned to load up another plate. She hadn't miss the wicked growl that escaped his stomach as she saw him hungrily eye the food he was loading up to serve. Glancing over at the clock, she had noticed that it must have been 6 hours since he would have last eaten, though knowing him it could have been even longer. Before she could offer him anything he had flashed her that same tired smile before disappearing through the double doors again.

The night ticked by, and Pyrrha could see everyone was beginning to be even more sluggish. Their service was starting to fall behind the production, and Pyrrha knew if this kept up that they would only fall further behind, which would increase their stress and burn them out even more. Biting her lip, she wracked her brain for something she could do. She still had to manage her own kitchen, so it wasn't like she could pick up a platter herself.

Seeing another waiter come in, one hand clutching his stomach she made up her mind. Turning to her sous chef, she motioned for her to take command for a moment. The kitchen had been running smoothly for a little while now, so Pyrrha could afford to shift her attention for a few minutes.

Quickly moving to the spare ingredients, she scanned it as she wracked her brain for ideas. Snapping her fingers triumphantly, she quickly gathered up a few before moving off to the side. Her sous had raised an eyebrow, but was able to piece together what her superior was thinking.

When Jaune next found himself in the kitchen, he was surprised to see a platter of pastries next to their normal platters to be delivered, with a note hastily scribbled on it.

 _For the servers._

 _~Pyrrha_

Jaune smiled, they looked delicious. It wasn't the first time Pyrrha had taken pity on the servers during an event like this. Occasionally they could expect to find some treats out to boost both their spirits and their energy levels. Jaune however, couldn't partake at the moment. A guest had asked him specifically for a refill of oysters, and judging by the clothing they had been wearing they were of an influential variety. So he had to be quick. He flashed a grateful smile to Pyrrha, before quickly leaving out the double doors, the pastries untouched.

Pyrrha had frowned as she saw him leave. She knew he wasn't unappreciative, or even unwilling to eat, but she knew he mostly likely felt too busy to have a snack at the moment. Still, she had to focus on her own task.

Slowly but surely, the wait staff would come in, find the plates of pastries, offer her a word of thanks before indulging in one quickly, before returning to work slightly more energized, and with their spirits bolstered.

The next time Jaune had come in though, he paused. The platter had been completely empty. His stomach growled in protest, and he left out a soft sigh. He had been held up too long on the floor. Shaking his head, he was just glad his friends had been able to eat something at least. Flashing a grateful, yet slightly apologetic smile to Pyrrha, he once more went unto the breach.

Pyrrha frowned, her knives slowing to a momentary stop as she saw him leave disappointed. She knew none of the waiters and waitresses could possibly known who else had had one, so they must have just assumed everyone had a chance to have one as they continued to take one. Jaune had drawn the short straw it seemed. Chewing on her lip for a moment, she went back to work.

The next time Jaune pushed through the double doors, he was surprised to see not only the pastry platter cleaned off and ready to be used again, but another small plate with a note.

 _For Jaune,_

 _~Pyrrha_

On it was a single pastry, a little larger than the others with a smiley face made of honey lemon wedges on it. Jaune paused, glancing up at the redhead who merely smirked at him before returning to her work. Not one to refuse a gift, Jaune quickly wolfed it down. It was small, but did wonders to put something in his system and give him some sugar. That paled in comparison to the boost that his spirit felt.

He flashed her a thanks before heading back out to the floor with a new sense of vitality. He was sure he could conquer the night now.

Pyrrha nearly dropped the plate of food she had been holding when she saw Jaune return a little while later. The front of his outfit had been completely stained a deep purple as wine dripped from his shirt and vest. He wore a sad little smile as he quickly put down his tray.

"A guest was a little upset that we were slow on refilling the tarts." He offered.

Pyrrha felt anger bubble up in her. Some guests had no sympathy for the workers at an event, solely focused on their mild discomfort.

Moving to the back of the waiter room off to the side of the kitchen, she saw him quickly begin to strip. He pulled off his vest, loosened his tie before unbuttoning his shirt. She leaned back ever so slightly as she cooked, her eyes glued to his back as he removed his shirt, stretching for a moment as he fished out a spare shirt from the locker he had prepared earlier. Pyrrha bit her lip slightly as she saw him undo his belt as he threw a new dress shirt on, tucking it in. She jumped slightly as a massive fire flared up from her pan, having poured in a little too much oil while "distracted" by Jaune.

This caused Jaune to turn around, in the middle of buttoning up his shirt. "Pyr? Is everything okay?" He asked curiously, resuming buttoning up his shirt.

"Yes!" She squeaked out before turning back around to try and save her pan of food.

Her sous leaned over, a dangerous smirk on her face. "You don't need to add so much oil, chef. The food isn't as _thirsty_ as you are."

Pyrrha flushed red, shooting her a death glare. "Quiet in the kitchen." She snapped, hiding her blush.

"Yes Chef!" The sous happily replied, going back to preparing her meals.

The next time Pyrrha hazarded a glance over at Jaune, she saw him looking like new as he loaded up a new plate of food. Pyrrha offered him a reassuring smile before turning to her task at hand, pointedly ignore the snickers from her sous chef.

Surprisingly enough, the rest of the night seemed to be going smoothly. The servers were all clearly reaching their limits as they prepared for the final sprint required. Jaune however, seemed to be reaching his a lot earlier. One thing Pyrrha had noticed was how frequently he seemed to be coming and going from the kitchen area. She had a feeling he was trying to pull more than his share of work tonight.

She offered him an encouraging smile as she saw him return yet again, depositing two empty platters. Turning back to her stove, she jumped as she heard the sounds of metal clattering on the floor, and glass shattering. Rushing to the side, she saw Jaune laying face down on the ground, the platter splattered next to him. "Jaune!" She called out, quickly rushing over to him. Before she got there though, he was already back to his knees, standing up. "I'm okay. I just tripped." he offered her with a tired smile.

Pyrrha frowned. "Don't push yourself too hard. You can take it easy you know, tonight's almost over." She offered.

Jaune just flashed her a brief smile as he quickly got a broom and began to gather up the shards of glass in a corner. "I'm sorry I wasted the food. Forgive me." He said, his eyes desperate.

Pyrrha shook her head. "That's okay. We plan for stuff like this. Sous ch-" She was about to call out when she saw her sous already setting up the replacement platter. Grinning, Pyrrha turned back to Jaune. "See? No big deal. Did you get cut?" She asked, looking him over for any sign of cuts.

Shaking his head, Jaune checked his hands. "I don't think so. Somehow." Quickly washing his hands again, he picked up a platter and moved back out the double doors without another word, determined to finish off the night strong.

Pyrrha just sighed, worried about her friend as she moved back to the kitchen. At least the evening was wrapping up. Before long they could all take a well deserved rest.

Not too long later, Jaune had returned grinning. "Mister Ozpin says that the kitchen is done for the night. You were wonderful and that you may begin cleaning up. What is out there will be enough as the night winds down." Jaune reported, pleased to be able to give Pyrrha good news.

There were some high fives in the kitchen as the staff was relieved to hear their part in this fiasco was over. They finished serving the food they had already been in the process of making as the rest began to clean up.

Pyrrha was about to ask Jaune if he would like another snack when she saw him on his knees, his head resting against the serving table. "Jaune!" She cried out, moving to his side, her voice jumping an octave in the middle.

Jaune just smiled with his eyes closed, waving her off. "I'm fine. I'm just resting a moment. Trying to summon up the strength for one last go." He offered as his head drooped.

Pyrrha bit her lip, just gently rubbing his back.

After a moment, he stood up and flashed her a smile before heading back to the double doors. He staggered a bit, stumbling and catching himself luckily on the side of the wall next to the doors. "I'm okay. Just stood up too quickly." He offered.

"Jaune... you should just rest. You're too tired." She said softly.

Looking over his shoulder he just flashed her that same old smile. "I can't." Before he slapped himself on both cheeks with his hands at the same time, waking himself up as he plastered on a smile before heading back out there to help round up the remaining guests and make sure they are all happy as they leave. Final impressions were important after all.

Pyrrha stared at his back as he walked away, frowning. She understood why he was pushing himself to such an unhealthy extent. They were in different circumstances. She had been approached directly about coming to cook as a chef for Mister Ozpin himself a year ago. Rumors of her skills had spread after winning a TV show cooking contest. That was when she had met Jaune, someone who had started working around the same time. While she was rather safe, being an important staff member who was desired, Jaune wasn't so lucky. He had moved out recently from a large household, with 7 sisters. Both determined to find a way to support himself, and be able to send money back home to help his sisters afford to go to college, he needed a paying gig.

Considering he didn't exactly have many qualifications for a nicer job, he had settled for being a server for this manor. But that meant his job was always on a line, he wasn't exactly a high priority employee, and while Pyrrha knew her boss wouldn't just cut him unfairly, Jaune did have to earn his keep. Though, she had a feeling he was pushing himself harder than needed. Mister Ozpin would never ask one of his employees to to harm themselves in service to him. But Jaune wasn't the type to taking things too easy.

So she held her tongue. What else could she do? Standing up, she moved back to the kitchen, grabbing some of the spare ingredients that would either be donated or thrown out as they had been prepared but not used for the night. Her sous seemed to get what she was planning and soon joined her, before long half the staff was preparing another brief round of meals and setting them out for the servers as they came back, knowing the least they could do would be to ensure the servers could find a healthy meal after their long battle.

One by one the servers would return, surprised and happy to find food waiting for them as they ate up, before saying their goodbyes and heading home. The kitchen staff had also been dismissed, but Pyrrha stayed around waiting to make sure Jaune would eat properly. Before long though, she saw that he hadn't returned, yet all the other servers had already headed home. Getting worried, she stormed out of the double doors, prepared to search for him, What she wasn't expecting to see was Jaune leaning against the wall in the hallways, out cold.

Judging by his posture, it had been intentional, but that didn't make Pyrrha any less worried. She quickly knelt down, gently shaking his shoulder. "Jaune? Jaune. Wake up please." She goaded him on.

A sleepy eye opened, staring at her in confusion. "What?" He croaked out.

Pyrrha let out a sigh of relief. "You shouldn't sleep in the hallway. Come eat then you should get home and have a proper rest." She offered, helping him stand.

Jaune was going to tell her to not worry about him, but the mention of food had his stomach growling up a storm so he merely nodded and let her lead him back into the kitchen. He took a seat at the table as Pyrrha quickly dished up a meal for him, placing it in front of him and handing him a fork, practically begging him to eat.

He quickly began to shovel the food down before mumbling about how heavenly it was.

Sighing as she watched him eat, she really wished he wouldn't work himself so hard. It was unhealthy, and she knew he couldn't keep it up at this pace forever. He was lucky he was as young as he was, as his body was more forgiving. As he finished the plate though, she saw his head bob. Some part of her was afraid he'd pass out mid bite and face-plant into his meal. Luckily though, he finished without incident and moved to the locker room.

Pyrrha cleaned up the plate, before joining him, seeing him sitting on the bench with his head nodding. He was utterly exhausted, and Pyrrha was suddenly concerned he wouldn't be able to make it home at this rate. Especially if he had to drive.

Sitting on the bench next to him, she began to gently play with his hair. This seemed to work like magic, because soon he was leaning against her as his breathing slowed. "I'll get moving. Inasecond..." he slurred out, his eyes sliding shut.

With a soft smile, Pyrrha just shifted down the bench slightly, moving him so he was laying on the bench, his head resting in her lap. She watched his breathing even out as he quickly passed out. Continuing to play with his soft hair, she smiled down at him. There was a gentle smile on his face as he seemed at peace finally.

Pyrrha let out a yawn herself, while her day hadn't been as chaotic as his had been, it certainly hadn't been easy managing a kitchen for hours. But, she could afford to spare some time to let her friend rest up before his journey home.

Her head snapped to attention when she heard the sound of someone approaching. Instinctively, she leaned over him ever so slightly, as if to shield him with her body as she raised an eyebrow. Who would still be around so late?

Before long Mister Ozpin rounded the corner, a cup of coffee in his hand as he smiled at the two. That was thing Pyrrha had always found strange about her boss. He had an army of servers and chefs at his command, yet he always insisted on brewing his own coffee. Something about the finer things in life, and leaving an old man his own pleasures.

"Good work today, Ms. Nikos. I heard nothing but praises on your cooking. You've certainly earned your wages tonight." He offered simply.

Smiling, Pyrrha bowed her head. "Thank you sir. I'm glad the event was a success." She paused after a moment, looking down at her friend. "Sir, about Jaune." She started out. Normally she tried to avoid drawing too much attention to herself or using her influence, but if it was for him...

Ozpin raised a hand, smiling. "Actually, I was going to ask you a favor. When he wakes up, will you tell him I'd like to see him tomorrow in my office."

Pyrrha's eyes widened. Was he in trouble? "Sir. Jaune may be resting now, but I assure you he worked very hard today. He was in and out of the kitchen more than anyone else. I believe he has more than earned his pay today." She started out, scrambling to find the words to properly defend her friend.

Ozpin just chuckled, taking a sip from his drink. "Don't misunderstand, Ms. Nikos. He is not in trouble. But rather, I must say I was impressed with how hard I saw him working today, though clearly he may have overdone it if he's needing to use your lap as a pillow." He teased light-heartedly, chuckling at the blush that crept over her. "No, I was going to ask him how he feels about becoming a head server. It certainly wouldn't be fair to keep someone so hard working below his proper worth, no?"

Eagerly Pyrrha nodded. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear that. I'll let him know you wish to see him when he wakes up." She said, struggling to contain her excitement for her friend, knowing if she moved too much she could wake up the sleeping boy.

Satisfied, Ozpin nodded. "Well then, I'll take my leave now. Please be sure to properly lock up when you two exit." He offered before turning and exiting the room.

Pyrrha just smiled down at her friend. While she may not approve of his methods, it seems in the end his hard work did pay off. Reaching down she gently brushes some bangs out of his face as she saw him shift slightly. She looked forward to giving him the good news, and maybe, just maybe, she'd take him out to celebrate.

XxXxXxXxX

Thank you for reading! I can finally post this since I got wifi back. This was inspired by Beauty and the Beast. There's a certain couple in the film that made me think of Arkos in this situation. Now that this is posted I can get back to working on my other series. I hope you enjoyed this and I hope you have a wonderful freaking day! :D


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